Three of 16 states require assessment of demographic impact on segregation or desegregation orders, six require programmatic impact assessment, and four require only a general impact assessment¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (3 entries) · review r1–r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Three of the 16 states require authorizers to consider demographic impact on racial, ethnic, or economic segregation or desegregation orders. → Chait 2022 q2 i? Six states require authorizers to consider how a prospective charter school would affect availability or quality of educational programming, services, or academic achievement in neighboring schools or districts. → Chait 2022 (2) q2 i? Four states do not specify the type of impact authorizers must assess, requiring only a general assessment of impact on a traditional public school or district. → Chait 2022 (3)

Evidence¶

Chait 2022¶

Chait, R. (2022). Balancing district impacts and community interests: Considerations for district charter authorizers. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED620722

q2 · i? · review · r2

The statute review found "three of the 16 states" require consideration of demographic impact on segregation in neighboring schools or, in Arkansas, on court-mandated desegregation orders. As with fiscal impact, the brief notes policies do not articulate how demographic impact should be determined.

"Three of the 16 states require, in statute or regulation, that authorizers consider the impact on racial, ethnic, or economic segregation in neighboring traditional public schools or, as in Arkansas, on court-mandated desegregation orders."

Chait 2022 (2)¶

Chait, R. (2022). Balancing district impacts and community interests: Considerations for district charter authorizers. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED620722

q2 · i? · review · r1

The statute review found six states require programmatic impact assessment. The stated rationale is that if a charter school draws enrollment from a traditional public school, that school may have to eliminate a particular course or curricular program.

"Six states require authorizers to consider how the prospective charter school would affect the availability or quality of educational programming, services, or academic achievement in neighboring schools or districts."

Chait 2022 (3)¶

Chait, R. (2022). Balancing district impacts and community interests: Considerations for district charter authorizers. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED620722

q2 · i? · review · r2

The statute review found four states require only a general impact assessment without specifying the type of impact. The brief cites New Mexico's statute requiring consideration of whether an application is contrary to the best interests of projected students, the local community, or the district.

"Four states do not specify the type of impact authorizers must assess but merely state there should be an assessment of the impact of a new charter school on a traditional public school or school district."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Sixteen states have district impact provisions in statute or regulation, and these fall into four primary categories: fiscal, demographic, programmatic, and general — a broader claim this one bears on
• State community engagement requirements such as public hearings can often be satisfied without obtaining meaningful community input, and collecting feedback differs from proactively assessing community needs — related
• California's AB 1505 community interest provision assesses charter applications almost exclusively in terms of district impact and does not appear to include community input on unmet needs — related